2011 Webinar: When the Stakes are High

Overview

This webinar was intended to provide those working in the research field with how-tos as they relate to managing a research crisis and communicating about animal research.

Suzanne Rivera’s portion of the presentation covered:

Examples of what constitutes a research “crisis”

Addressing concerns about the safety of human subjects, animals, research personnel, and the environment

Analyzing root causes and identifying signs of stress in your research program, implementing a plan for prevention of repeat occurrences, and repairing the damage to institutional reputation

Assembling your recovery team and selecting an executive sponsor who empowers the group to act

Developing a communication strategy for both internal and external messages

Michael Stebbins' portion of the presentation covered:

Assessment of the public’s stance on animal research from 1948 to today

Positive messaging strategies that are effective in altering public opinion

Development of proactive techniques to help form positive opinions about biomedical research

Collaborations with the media, students, and the general public to convey a message before issues arise

Audience

The topic of this webinar was of interest to those working with human research protection programs, institutional review boards, institutional biosafety committees, embryonic stem cell research oversight committees, and institutional animal care and use committees.

Faculty

Suzanne Rivera, PhD, MSWSuzanne Rivera is associate vice president for research at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). She also is an assistant professor in the department of bioethics, and she was recently appointed as a member of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections. Dr. Rivera has broad responsibility for the research enterprise, including development of research policy, pre- and post-award management of sponsored projects, scientific integrity, compliance with research regulations, and education of faculty and students regarding the responsible conduct of research.

Prior to arriving at CWRU, Dr. Rivera served as vice president for research administration at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. She oversaw a variety of research support programs, including grants and contracts management, clinical trial negotiations, research compliance, laboratory animal resources, export controls, and a number of scientific core facilities. From 1996 to 2003, Dr. Rivera worked in the Office of Research Administration at the University of California-Irvine (UCI). As Director of Research Protections at UCI, she had responsibility for the operation of three IRBs, one IACUC, and one rDNA Use Committee. She was Co-PI on an NIH grant for Improvement of Human Subject Protections, and was an inventor of UCI’s computer-based tutorials for use of humans, animals and rDNA in research.

Before entering higher education management, Dr. Rivera spent several years at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in the San Francisco Regional Office, first as a Presidential Management Intern, and later as a Program Specialist with the Administration for Children and Families.

Dr. Rivera holds a BA from Brown University, a Master of Social Welfare degree from UC Berkeley, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Affairs (health policy emphasis) from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Michael StebbinsMichael Stebbins has served as the director of research at the Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) for the past six years. He has been at FBR for a total of 12 years, functioning as an instrumental part of all of FBR's campaigns since 1999. Mr. Stebbins researches, writes, and disseminates Total E‐Clips for FBR, a daily e‐newsletter with a circulation of 75,000 that covers the day's top news in animal research, animal rights extremism, and other issues of note to the medical research community. He studied at Cornell University, where he specialized in science communications. An experienced public speaker, Mr. Stebbins has made the case for animal research to audiences across the country at universities, companies, associations, various medical conferences, and government meetings.

Certificates of Attendance

Certificates of AttendanceCertificates of Attendance for the When the Stakes are High: Managing Communication and Public Opinion in Research Settings webinar will be made available at the conclusion of the webinar. To access the certificate, you must first complete the online evaluation. Such certificates are useful for obtaining Continuing Education Credits (not Continuing Medical Education Credits) from professional associations. Note that guidelines concerning Continuing Education Credits may differ, and you should consult the appropriate professional association representative for further guidance.

Continuing Education (CE) Credit for CIP® RecertificationWebinar participants holding the CIP credential who wish to apply credits from When the Stakes are High: Managing Communication and Public Opinion in Research Settings toward CIP recertification may submit a Certificate of Attendance as documentation of participation. Participation in this 90-minute webinar counts as 1.5 CE credit hours.

Continuing Education (CE) Credit for CPIA® RecertificationWebinar participants holding the CPIA credential who wish to apply credits from When the Stakes are High: Managing Communication and Public Opinion in Research Settings toward CPIA recertification may submit a Certificate of Attendance as documentation of participation. Participation in this 90-minute webinar counts as 1.5 CE credit hours.